


Let it Rain

by audreyslove



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 09:58:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16015565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/audreyslove/pseuds/audreyslove
Summary: Based on the beautiful manip of a "How I Met Your Mother" moment by @umbrellagates.  Robin and Regina meet at a wedding.  And Robin is as smooth as a mountain road in winter.





	Let it Rain

Fic based on this absolute beauty of a work, thank you [@umbrellagates](http://www.twitter.com/umbrellagates)

 

 

He sees her for the first time as he is about to walk down the aisle.

Well, not in _that_ way.  The wedding has started, and he’s waiting by the entrance to the church, waiting in line to walk in the wedding processional and support his best friend on the most important day of _her_ life.  He’s just the co- best man… or co-maid of honor, what have you.  

But then he sees _her_ walk in through the side entrance, sharing that same small hallway with him. Long, brown locks of hair, slightly wavy, almond shaped eyes the color of warm caramel, flawless olive skin that seems to glow with warmth.  She’s slim and short, looking a bit athletic as she opens the heavy historical hall entrance door timidly, trying to be as silent as possible.

And then she slides in, and she disappears from his sight.

Until it is time for him to walk down the aisle, to enter that same door, moments later.  He spots her almost immediately trying to quietly find a seat.

She’s gorgeous — breathtaking, really, and he finds himself staring at her until he’d have to crane his head or stop walking.  

She catches his eyes just before he has to turn away, sharing a smile with him and a little shrug, mouthing the word “sorry” to him.  

He just smiles back and shoots her a little wink, holding a finger to his lips, hoping she understands it to mean her late entrance can count as their little secret.

Robin hadn’t expected to meet anyone at this wedding, not really.  First of all, his ex is here, and picking up someone else while she’s in the room just seems awkward. Second, perhaps it’s feeding into stereotypes but he had assumed a gay wedding would have, well, mostly gay attendees. In this case, he had expected to see mostly women paired with other women (which is ridiculous, given what he knows of the lovely bride sto be - they both have an assortment of friends from all walks of life).  And third, well, he’s not sure he really wants to spend his best friend’s big day with a stranger — not when he has so many people he loves in one place.

Still, he wonders about the gorgeous woman he exchanged a glance with, wonders who she is, what her story is, and if he in any way has a shot with her.

He tries to put his mind off of the dazzling guest as his best friend walks down the aisle.

Mulan is wearing a very elegant, perfectly fitted white jumpsuit, her hair in an elegant soft bun, flowers twisting in the locks so gorgeously.  It’s very _her,_ feminine and elegant in the most understated of ways.

And for a few moments, until vows are exchanged, rings are placed on fingers, nothing seems to matter.

Not until he walks back down that aisle again to leave and spots the same beautiful woman.  This time, her eyes are on his first.

He shoots her another wink, and she trades an amused look back.

.::.

He makes his way to the limo after the ceremony, stuffed in with the brides and the rest of the wedding party.

Ruby and Mulan are already in newlywed mode, kissing and whispering to each other in a way that makes Robin think they should have taken different transportation and left the happy couple alone.

But they had wanted this — all their friends together.  

“Fuck, it is going to rain,” Ruby says looking out the window.  “We better get our outdoor pictures fast.”

“Rain is good luck!” Mulan assure, kissing her gently on the cheek.  “And the rain won't matter, if it comes. Aren’t you glad we didn’t do that big rural outdoor wedding like you had wanted?”

“I’d be an absolute wreck,” Ruby admits, kissing her softly on the lips, murmuring _thank you._ and _I love you._

_.::._

 

They get the pictures.

They barely beat the rain, big droplets splash into his suit coat as he rushes Mulan and Ruby inside the reception hall. The photographer tells them the background is stunning with storm clouds looming in the air, much more interesting and complicated than a beautiful “easy” sunny day.  And who wants easy?

And all he can think and heads into cocktail hour is he’s glad the rain hasn’t ruined their day, and he _really_ needs a drink after all that posing.

He doesn’t plan it, not at all, but as he walks up to the bar, it just so happens the beautiful woman from the ceremony is already there waiting.

She catches his eyes and smiles, waving him over.

“So…” Robin says.  “Are you with the bride or the…”. Fuck, he forgot there were two brides for a second.

“The other bride?  Yes, I’m with her,” she laughs.  “I’m Regina.”

Regina.  He thinks the name sounds vaguely familiar.

“I’m Robin,” he says back.

“Ah, yes, Robin.  Ruby has mentioned you a few times.  Mulan’s best friend.” Regina smiles. “By the way, Ruby is a good friend.  And she would be terribly hurt if she found out I was late, so please—“

“I won’t breathe a word.  I think you got in undetected, actually.  Most probably thought you went to the powder room and mistimed it.”

“Thank you,” Regina says softly.  “I promised her I’d be there for her, and I meant it.  I had to back out of the bachelorette and the engagement party because of work and… other issues.  But this, this I was making. When she heard I was catching the red eye she was absolutely worried I’d miss it.  I would have been fine, but there was a mess with the ticket, so—“

“How were the tickets a mess?” Robin asks, voice laced with curiosity.

Regina huffs out a deep breath of air.  “Well, my boyfriend at the time bought the tickets…”

Boyfriend _at the time_.  Well okay, then.

“... and then we broke up, predictably, and he cancelled his ticket and left me mine.  I didn’t notice until the day of the flight that he had spelled my name wrong. And gave me the wrong birthdate. My name is Regina Mills.  Spelled _exactly_ like it sounds.  My birthday is February first.  It’s not exactly difficult to remember.”

“How’d he screw that up?” Robin asks.

“Spelled my last name M-I-L-E-S and gave me his girlfriend's birthday,” Regina answers swiftly, chugging the little champagne flute she has in her hand and waving the waiter to come over with another. “I had no idea about the girlfriend, of course, at the time we agreed to attend this wedding together.  Anyway, confusion cost me my flight, thus why I barely made it today.”

It is not a surprise that she is out of town.  It’s not exactly a destination wedding, but Robin doesn’t imagine much of the party is from Maine, what with both Ruby and Mulan living in Denver.  And for her to be planning on taking a boyfriend to a wedding that’s a flight away, well, things had to be a bit serious.

And now she’s single, and lucky for him.

“Well it sounds like your breakup was for the best,” Robin says casually. “You’re far too beautiful to be wasting time with men who don’t appreciate you.”

She snorts into her drink and looks up at him in a way that makes him wince.

“Look, you’re a nice guy so I’m just going to let you know right now: I’m not interested in any _romance_ for the night.”

“Ah,” Robin says, “I didn’t mean to—“

“But I should tell you, if you’re using lines like that, I’m not surprised that you are single at all — good looks only go so far.”

“First of all, my lines have served me well, no complaints in that department,” Robin claps back in mock offense. Then he bumps against her in a friendly way, shoulder to shoulder.  “Second of all, thank you for saying that I’m good looking.”

She blushes, perhaps realizing she _did_ let that opinion drop, after all.

“What I had planned for this wedding,” she draws carefully, “considering my heart and ego are still a bit bruised to be doing anything more, is to flirt with some good looking people, feel nice and pretty, then go back to my hotel alone,” she explains.  “But I would rather not lead _you_ on, Ruby has only nice things to say about you, and I expect I’ll be seeing you quite a bit back in Denver.”

“Oh, you’re from the area?” Robin asks.

“Boulder,” Regina clarifies.  “But, yes, I am. And now that I’m not dating someone that Ruby cannot stand, I’ll probably be around more.”

Well that’s convenient, isn’t it?

“Well, you’re not the only one who recently had a breakup.” The bartender hands him his scotch, and he figures he will let someone else have a turn at the bar, so he motions for her to follow him by some of the cocktail bar tops.  She follows him, champagne in hand.

“Marian and I broke up about a while ago.  After four years together,” he says with a rueful smile.  “But there’s a catch. Marian is friends with Mulan, too. So she’s here.”

Regina’s eyes widen.  “She’s here? And you just broke up?  How was the breakup, was it—“

“Mutual? Amicable? No, it was none of those things,” he laughs.  “It’s been almost five months, so-“

“Oh, five months, that’s not that recent.”

She waves it off as if it were nothing.  And, well, frankly he’s mostly over it, but still...

“Marian and I were together for four years,” he reminds.  “It’s still awkward. _My_ ego is a bit bruised.  And here I am, the first woman I flirt with telling me I’m not very good at this, imagine how I feel.”

Regina laughs and rolls her eyes.  “Did you think that sob story might change my mind on my post-wedding plans?”

“I did, a bit,” he admits.  Oh, he likes her. She’s sassy as she is charming and great at conversation; more than that, she just _gets_ him.

“But you’re telling the truth about Marian,” she guesses, and Robin nods.  He scans the crowd and points to her. “There she is, right there.”

“Hmm,” Regina gives her a quick perusal.  Marian is talking to some guy now, and Robin is trying very hard not to care about. “She looks like is having fun,” she notes.  

“Yeah,” Robin agrees.  “But I would invite _you,”_ he takes her hand playfully, “to join me in pretending we didn’t see her with that man over there.  What do you say? Be complicit in my denial?”

“Alright,” Regina says easily.  “It never happened. Hey, I think I know what you need.”

“Oh, I know what I need,” Robin responds, “But I doubt it’s what you’re thinking of.”

She rolls her eyes playfully at him and shakes her head.

“You need to get back out there, same as me.  Flirt with a ton of ladies, collect a bunch of phone numbers, then, just… go home alone.  Knowing you could have had any one of them. Trust me, it’s an amazing feeling.”

“You know what else is an amazing feeling?” he asks a bit cheekily.

She laughs.  

“Agreed.  But what happens the next morning, when you feel different things, either you’re wandering off and hurting someone’s feelings or they are hurting yours.  Best to avoid all that.”

Well, she’s got a good point.

“How about we make it even more fun?  Whoever gets the most numbers wins?”

Robin laughs, because he doesn’t have a shot.  “I’m pretty certain you have an advantage.”

“How so?” she asks, her eyes sparkle under this light, it really is amazing.

“Well this is a gay wedding and many of the women attending the wedding are, well…”

“True,” Regina notes.  “I have a feeling being able to bat for both teams will serve me well.”

She offers him a look, as if she’s waiting for him to comment on something, but he’s not quite sure what.

Instead he just smirks.  “Plus men are a bit less concerned with handing numbers over to strangers to women then vice versa.  Safety and all that.”

“You’re right,” Regina frowns.  “So lets give you a bit of a handicap.  For me to win, I have to get double the amount of numbers you do.  Sound fair?”

Well that’s… more than fair.  She shouldn’t be so confident, actually. He thinks he’s insulted.

“Now _that_ I can win.”

“Don’t be so sure.” She drinks the last of her champagne and grabs a waiter, asking for another drink.

“What are we playing for?  Bragging rights?”

Regina contemplates for a few minutes.

“A drink,” she says with a shrug.  “I win, I buy you a drink at that hotel bar tonight, or some time before we leave town.  You win, you buy the drinks.”

Well, it seems either way he’s winning.

“That sounds like a lovely prize,” Robin says.

“Just a _drink,”_ she reminds him.  “I’m going home alone.  Now give me your number so we can meet later and settle up.”

For a split second, he almost gives it over, but he stops himself realizing his phone number will count towards their little contest.   “Clever,” he says, “why don’t you give me yours as well? You know, for the same reason.”

She shrugs and they exchange numbers, agreeing this exchange won’t count for the game.

And then she heads to the bar, in search of a drink, and Robin is waved over by Will.

He spots her charming the bartender before he’s pulled away by conversation.

Fuck, she’s good.

.::.

Robin quickly realizes that he is seriously out of practice.

He had struck up a wonderful conversation with a pretty-ish blonde named Elsa.  Things were going great until he asked for her phone number and she laughed as if she was embarrassed for him as she told him he wasn’t exactly her type.

“But, oh, I was having fun chatting!” she says in earnest, her voice laced with pity.

“She’s gay, mate,” Killian says, patting his back.

Well, fuck.  He had no idea.

Regina catches him right then and shoots him a knowing look.  She is walking over to him with a glass of whiskey and a napkin.  

“The whiskey is for your ego. The napkin is to wipe off all that egg on your face.”

He can’t help but laugh.  

“Thank you for both.”

He takes a sip of the whiskey.  It’s smooth, no doubt a good brand — much better than the poor grade scotch he had for his first round.  She smirks knowingly as he takes another sip.

“And how are you doing with our little game?” Robin asks.

Regina doesn’t answer, just waves behind him.  And when he follows her hand, he sees Will waving back and can’t help but laugh.

“Going for the low hanging fruit, I see.”

“This is a numbers game,” she smirks back.  “Quantity over quality.”

“Speaking of that, you better get back out there,” he taunts.  “You know what they say about the tortoise and the hare.”

“Oh, I’m not worried,” Regina sasses.  “You’re going to be easy to beat.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you,” he taunts back.

“I can’t,” she sighs seemingly out of nowhere.  And then her hands are on his shirt, adjusting his tie.  She’s so close, he can smell hints of coconut and vanilla in her hair, the smell of something floral and sweet (apple blossoms in the summer) on her skin.

“Your bowtie is off, and I’d feel like a total ass if I didn’t straighten it,” she explains.  

He hums and lets her nimble fingers work and fix his tie and shirt, trying to breathe, trying to remember that this is friendly.  This isn’t anything. He has no right to get sexually excited over this lovely woman adjusting his clothes, and yet it’s happening just the same.

Apparently living without sex for the last several months has him very overeager.

“There, finished.” Regina says, adding a little pat to his chest for effect.

He knows Regina could have just let him wander around with a crooked tie, looking disheveled and unkempt, but she did this for him anyway, even if it may help his chances of catching a woman’s interest.

“Thank you for playing fair.”

“Mm, I play dirty, usually.  I must be going soft for you.”  

She looks absolutely beautiful taunting him.  God, he really likes her.

“So who’s your next victim, then?” he asks.  

She tilts her head looking around and then points.  “That man, over there. Seems like a nice guy.”

She’s pointed to John.  And yes, he is a nice guy.

“That’s my best friend,” he admits.  “I know this may not exactly be kosher, but could you spare the man?  If I have to hear about how he thinks he has a chance with a gorgeous woman, I think I may not be able to stop myself from laughing.  And besides, he _is_ a nice guy, you may break his heart if you make him thinks he has a shot with you and then never call him.”

Regina offers him a little pout.  “Well I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  Who would you say I should go after? And no sabotage.  For real.”

“Ok, for real.”  Robin scans the crowd for someone safe.  Someone Regina won’t actually like too much, but is nice and easy just the same.  

“Him,” he points to Killian.  “Another good friend of mine, but not quite so tender-hearted.  Rip him to shreds. He’ll recover.”

“Thanks for the tip,” she smirks, and then she’s off again.  He can’t help but watch her leave.

And when she turns back in his direction, they share a little knowing look before she gets back to the game.

.::.

“So, you are in construction?” Jasmine, the woman he’s speaking to doesn’t seem exactly disinterested, but there’s something… off.  He doesn’t really care, honestly, he’s not interested in the slightest.

“I’m an architect.  So… I guess you can say that, in a way, I am?”

“Oh, great, I was thinking of getting my kitchen redone and extending the house eight feet in back, and I was looking for a great contractor.  Do you have recommendations?”

“Well, not on me, but…”

“Let me give you my number, I’d actually love to pick your brain about some ideas I have!”  

“Sure,” Robin says, just in time to see Regina sitting down next to him, a drink in hand.  

“Call me!”

He smiles and assures her she will.  

But when he offers Regina a knowing smirk all she can do is shake her head.  “You know that doesn’t count, right?” she asks, sipping from a martini glass with plenty of olives.  

It seems he’s been caught.

“It’s a number,” he shrugs.  “We didn’t specify the context of _getting_ that number.”

“Come on, let’s play fair.  I meant numbers for _pleasure_ , not for people looking for a good plumber.”  She takes a another sip and taps his shoulder. “Nice try though.”

“Worth a shot,” Robin shrugs.  

“Mm,” Regina says, her perfect white teeth digging into that full bottom lip he just wants to kiss so badly.

Instead they continue to banter, to tease, and the conversation is so smooth, the company just feels so right.

Robin doesn’t really know how he’s going to manage the rest of the night.  It seems he’s far too enamoured with the one woman he cannot have, and that’s a problem.

“Honor system,” Regina smirks, before she gets up from the table.  “Only legitimately interested women and men count, okay?”

“Cross my heart,” he promises.  

He is _really_ looking forward to drinks tonight.

He should be looking for other people to chat up, especially since he doesn’t have anyone’s number as of yet, but he is distracted when he spots Mulan alone for a second. She’s been busy the whole night, and he’s tried to give her space (his game has been a fun distraction).  But he can’t resist putting an arm around her and giving her a kiss to her hairline.

“Hello, gorgeous. Having fun?” he asks.

“The best,” she says, flashing a dazzling smile that could light up the whole room.  “And you?” her lips curve up in a devilish smile. “Because John said he thinks you’ve been trying to hookup tonight.”

Robin cringes.  That obvious, huh.

“Well, I wasn’t—”

“No, I’m glad!” Mulan insists.  ”It’s been months and you need to move on.”

“So far I’ve struck out,” Robin admits.

“There’s a girl Ruby and I talked about who might be good for you.” She scopes the room, then points her out.

And god damn it, of all his rotten luck.

“Regina Mills.  She is from our area, drop dead gorgeous, she’s got this real sense of humor and wit you would love.  Honestly, you two would really get along.”

“Yes, we’ve talked,” he says with a groan.  “And she’s wonderful. But apparently not interested.”

“Really?” Mulan looks perplexed.  “She mentioned you to Ruby, asked who you were when she saw pictures of you.  Said you were hot.”

“Did she?” Robin asks.  God, there’s a much needed ego boost. And he can tease her about that later, perhaps.  He wonders what she will say, how she will wiggle out of that.

“Oh, don’t get so cocky, and don’t pretend you don’t know you’re hot,” Mulan says rolling her eyes.  “In any case, maybe your _charming personality_ changed her mind.”

Mulan must notice that she hit a nerve, because she’s rushing to soften the blow.  “Really I’m sure it’s just a bit too soon. She broke up with her asshole boyfriend recently.  We’ve been waiting it out for awhile, we both thought you two would work, and it seems you hit it off, right?  Just maybe the timing isn’t right.”

“Well, she’s definitely my type, but no, she’s definitely not interested,” he says with a shrug.  And he feels bad, so he admits. “I know this because we had an interesting conversation. And, actually we are playing a bit of a game, the two of us.”

Mulan raises an eyebrow and he rushes to continue.

“Well, she wasn’t interested in me, or really doing more than a little harmless flirting.  She suggested we both do it, and whoever gets the most phone numbers wins.”

Mulan just smirks.  “She’s going to slaughter you.”

“She has to double my number to win.”

Mulan doesn’t even blink, continues to give him that skeptical glare.

“I’m not that bad!” he argues. “I’ve never had a problem finding a date!”

“You’ve been with Marian forever, you don’t know _how_ to find a date!” Mulan reminds.  “Listen, ordinarily I would not support this on my _wedding day_ but I can't have you making a poor showing in front of Regina.  You’re _my_ friend and I don’t want Ruby bragging about how her friend kicked my friend’s ass.  Maybe find someone you’re interested in so I can at least say you abandoned the game because you found someone.  And remember to talk about things that aren’t business so people don’t mistake your flirtation for business plans.”

“Fuck,” Robin groans, “this is embarrassing.”

“Nah, it's actually a bit cute,” Mulan laughs.  “You know who might be fun for you? Anna. She’s fun and flirty.  You’d have fun.”

“She’s a fetus,” Robin points out.  “I’m not going to go hit on her, is she even legal to drink?”

“She’s 23,” Mulan laughs, “and that attitude of yours is why you are my best friend, but also why you are never going to win this game.  But good luck.”

He tries after that, he really does.  But he doesn’t want to lead anyone on.  He talks to Sabine, Mulan’s friend, and he really thinks he’s hitting it off with her.  He’s not sure there’s real interest, not really, but she can dance, and he’s not so bad himself. Everything feels platonic, but when she asks if he’s interested in going to salsa club together sometime, he doesn’t hesitate to exchange numbers.  

At least he made a good connection.

Regina had spotted them talking, he knows, because they exchanged glances as Sabine entered her number into his phone.   She gave him a nod, as if she was proud of his little victory. And he felt a bit proud of himself, in that moment. He even bought her a drink, remembering her martini with olives, guessing she’s the type to drink a proper gin martini, and, given what she said about her game play, she probably likes it dirty.

So he orders it and gives it to her while she’s chatting with Ruby, only winking at her as he leaves her to the bride, whispering, “good luck.”

Ruby pulls him back.  “Robin, I have barely had a chance to see you all night!”

“I know,” he says, staring at Regina knowingly.  “It’s been a busy wedding.”

“Mhm, but productive,” Regina says with an air of mystery, and Robin can’t help but chuckle.

“So you two know each other?” Ruby asks, looking at the two of them a bit puzzled.

“Actually we just met one another tonight,” Robin says.

“Oh, well,” Ruby turns to Regina, and her movements are a bit off, she’s a bit drunk.  “This man is one of the nicest, most caring person to exist.”

“Ruby,” he warns, feeling embarrassment creep up inside him.

“Seriously, the man comes over to my house and is fixing things I didn’t even know were broken.  And he’s always organizing these great weekend trips for us. And if you’re ever down, this man is the guy to talk to, he will tell you things about yourself you didn’t even know, and cheer you up in the best of ways.”

Robin blushes.  “I didn’t pay her to say that,” he promises, and Regina just smirks back.  

“And you two are both single!” Ruby pronounces.  “I’m just saying.”

“Newly single,” Regina reminds Ruby.  “I’m very _newly_ single.”

“Fine, I’ll put a pin in this conversation,” Ruby says taking another sip.  “But expect me to renew it in a month.”

A relative runs over to hug Ruby then, and Robin and Regina exchange glances, stifling laughter.  

“So are you having fun, at least?” Regina asks.  

“It’s a great wedding,” Robin responds.  “Yes, I’m quite enjoying myself.”

He really is.

“See!  I knew the game would be fun!” she says triumphantly, before excusing herself to play some more.

He is having a great time, really.  But the best part of this is really the interactions with Regina.  

This flirting thing is not working out, not in the slightest.  It’s reminding him how much he hates being single and how hard it is to make a connection with a woman.

He’s really only doing it for Regina.  For the snarky little banter, for the fun of exchanging looks and sharing smiles.

That’s why he strikes up conversation with Mary Margaret.  She’s a cute little bridesmaid of Ruby’s. She seems a bit immature and far too idealistic for his own good, but she lives in Denver, and they seem to have similar interests.  

“I would absolutely _love_ to go white water rafting!” she exclaims.  “Oh my god, I have been meaning to make a trip out there!  Are you thinking of getting another group together anytime soon?”

“Actually I was trying to organize something next month.”

“Perfect!” Margy Margaret squeals.  “Can I put your number into my phone, I would love to be added to the list and go with you!”

“Sure,” Robin says, “Only if I can get yours of course.”

“Of course!’ she exclaims.  “Thank you so much, David and I _love_ adventure sports and would absolutely love to go with you all!”

“David _does_ love adventure, doesn’t he?” The voice behind him is Regina, and oh fucking Christ, why does she have a habit of being there during all his embarrassing moments.

“Regina!  Great to see you!  And yes, yes he does.”

“Your _husband_ is a thrill-seeker,” she draws.  The emphasis of the word “husband” was clearly for Robin’s benefit.  

Mary Margaret is pulled away seconds later, leaving Regina with Robin.  She tilts her head and flashes him a look he could almost mistake for pity, if he didn’t hear her gloating words.

“Doesn’t count.”

He chuckles into his drink and nods.  “I should have looked for a ring. I totally forgot.”

“Oh, she’s not wearing one.  She never brings it with her on trips.  She’s too terrified to lose her wedding set on vacations — even trips to other areas of America not known for crime.  But anyway, it’s at home in some safe.”

“That is… odd.”

“So is Mary Margaret,” Regina shrugs.  

Robin laughs.

“I’ve got a lot of numbers,” Regina teases.  “Going to be hard to beat me.”

“I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve,” Robin lies.  He should be telling her the bet is off, that he had some flirting-related injury, like his tongue is too swollen to talk or he sprained his ankle and the pain is such that he can’t properly chat up a woman.  Anything. But he wants to impress her so badly.

“You did find a good one though, didn’t you?” Regina asks, nodding in Sabine’s direction.  “She’s gorgeous.”

“She is,” Robin agrees.  And oh, she is. But as ridiculous as it is, right now he’s not interested in her in the slightest.

“Impressive,” Regina gives him, reaching out to squeeze his hand.  “I have to go hunting a bit more, I’ll see you in a little while.”

Fuck it, he’ll just lose.  He’s got one quality woman interested in him, after all, and it’s enough to impress her.  And he’s somewhat high on the adrenaline of that.

If he were in a better place he’d be looking forward to salsa dancing with Sabine, but really all he can think about is that drink with Regina, the woman who has zero interest in being anything more than competitors.  Or maybe friends, if he’s lucky. In any case, he thinks he’s done trying to chat up women for the night.

So he spends a few hours with the guys, with his friends, just laughing and trading drinks and just… experiencing the wedding.

He gets Regina another drink just as she’s getting him another whiskey on the rocks. They trade drinks and toast to one another.

“This is award winning sportsmanship, right here,” Regina notes.  

“Truly,” he agrees.

He’s feeling pretty good about himself despite no longer talking to women, no longer trying to make any dates.  

He’s having fun trading old college stories with his friends, laughing with Mulan and Ruby… things are all well and good until he sees Sabine dancing with another woman.  And then… the dancing doesn’t exactly seem platonic.

The kiss that follows _definitely_ doesn’t seem platonic.

“Fuck,” Killian says, elbowing him as if he’s not already caught it.  “Isn’t that the girl you were just with a bit ago?”

“That’s her,” Robin says tightly.  “I guess she got a better offer.”

Killian laughs hard at that.  “Seriously mate, that’s not on you, I didn’t see that coming either.”  

He shuts Killian up then, because Sabine looks over and catches his eye, and then she’s dragging that woman she just kissed across the dance floor, over to him.  

“This is Robin, the guy I was telling you about!” she exclaims.  “Robin, this is Ivy. She’s…” she trades a devilish look with Ivy.  “She’s an old friend.”

“Nice to meet you,” Robin says.  It seems like it’s a rekindling of an old romance.  And he’s trying to be happy for them, but he can’t help but wonder, does her phone number really count?  If she was interested before she saw her old lover, does it count?

“Is this your boyfriend?” Sabine asks, lifting her hand to shake Killian’s.

He looks absolutely distraught.  “No, fuck, did you think he was _gay?”_ Killian asks incredulously.  And then he laughs.

Oh, that’s fucking _great_.

Sabine looks mortified, which is exactly how Robin feels.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry, I, I’ve never made this mistake before,”

“No, no it’s okay,” Robin waves his hand, then instantly wondering if the action looks flamboyant, somehow.  “Seriously, no harm, no foul.”

“I think it’s just that this is a gay wedding, and you are such a good dancer!  And you’ve such well manicured nails. And you knew of so many brunch spots in Denver!”

“Okay, well we’re hammering hard on some stereotypes, aren’t we?” Robin asks, but really, as wounded as his ego is, this is rather funny, and he’s trying to keep from laughing.  

“It was probably the British accent,” Ivy draws in her own accent. “It can fool the best of us.”

Sabine cringes.  “So I suppose you aren’t interested in salsa dancing?”

“No, I am,” Robin says truthfully.  “I guess I might have been open to the possibility of more, er, before, but clearly not now that I’ve apparently done such a wonderful job coming on to you that you not only missed it entirely but thought I was into men.”

“I’m sorry,” Sabine giggles, “It’s not funny, I shouldn’t laugh.”

“It’s perfectly alright,” Robin says, waving it off, “There’s nothing to do but laugh at this point. It’s fine, really.”

They part ways, Sabine still promising to call him but oh god, Robin really doesn’t want to ever see her again.

It’s all too much.  He stays for another drink, just for show, and then, when Sabine and Ivy start chatting with Marian, he starts to wonder if they will mention him, talk about him. If Marian will hear the whole sordid story.

Suddenly the potential for embarrassment becomes too much.  He needs some air.

He walks towards the exit, loosens that perfectly placed bowtie, and decides to have a walk.

It’s pouring out, though, so he liberates one of the umbrellas in the basket by the door and heads out.

“Hey!”

It’s Regina’s voice he hears, the clacking of heels as she runs after him in a little raincoat.

He stops for her, waits for her to get under the umbrella before he resumes his walk.

“Taking a break from the game, or are you giving up?” she asks, all peppy and sweet.

“If I had a white flag, I’d wave it,” he responds.  “Honestly, it really wasn’t working for me. For a woman flirting may be fun, for a man, it feels creepy most of the time.  And takes entirely too much effort.”

Regina snorts a bit in laughter.  “Well you should stop trying to turn the gay ones straight.  That _is_ a lot of work.”

“So you saw that too, huh?” Robin asks, his ears beet red.  “Twice in one night, actually, it seems. Sabine and Elsa. Look, I didn’t feel a love connection either, but it was for the sake of the game, and—”

“I know,” Regina laughs, “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I had no idea about Sabine either.  I don’t think many people did. I just thought it was hilarious”

“Hmm, at first I thought you were this sweet, caring friend to Ruby that I was enjoying getting to know… but now I think you may be a bit evil,” Robin winks at her, “enjoying my pain a bit too much, and all that.”

Regina smirks and shrugs her shoulders.  “Guilty as charged. But did you have fun?”

Yes.  Yes he did.  

But he’s not going to admit that right now, so he rolls his eyes dramatically and layers on the sarcasm in his reply.

“Oh, yes, absolutely,” he drawls.  “I’ve learned today that I’m absolutely rubbish at dating, at making conversation with women, at _reading_ women, and this is rather bad news because I do enjoy sex, and female companionship. I would like to have it again one day, you know, and in a perfect world I would, but it appears being able to talk to women is a requirement of having a relationship, and I’ve entirely forgotten how to do that.”

She’s truing not to laugh at his little rant, but is looking far too amused.  

“I think you talked to Sabine just fine.  She just didn’t swing that way.”

“She thought I was gay,” Robin admits.  He’s not sure why he tells her — she will surely mock him endlessly.  But for some reason, seeing her laugh is making him feel better.

She does laugh, loudly at that, covering her mouth as she does.  

“I’m sorry!” she gasps, trying to control herself.  “I don’t mean to laugh, it’s jsut your terrible luck today.  That’s on _her._ You definitely aren’t giving off any gay vibes.  At least not to a woman who is interested in men.”

“So how did you do?” Robin asks, “How many numbers did you get?  Eight? Ten? Hell, was it a full baker’s dozen? Tell me.”

“Two,” she admits with a coy smile, and he’s incredibly surprised.

“I thought you said you had a lot of numbers,” he says puzzled.

She shrugs.  “I lied. I could have gotten more but… I don’t know.  I guess it was more fun to trash talk than to play the actual game this time.”

“You’re so competitive,” he says, because it’s true, absolutely, the way she’s talked and acted all night, it’s shone through. He is, too, usually.  “I thought you were going to bury me in phone numbers, just for the bragging rights.”

“Usually I would,” She admits, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear.  “But this time I found myself distracted by the company of my opponent.”

Robin thinks he might be touched.

“Is that so?” He asks, his breath catching a bit, chest constricting as he watches her blush.

“I don’t know what all those women were on,” Regina says with a sigh.  “I found you pretty irresistible tonight.”

Robin scoffs and rolls his eyes.  “Was it my impressive knowledge of brunch spots in Denver, or my excessively clean nails, or my ability to organize whitewater rafting trips for married couples?”

She is not laughing anymore.  She just smiles and shrugs.. “All of those things.  And you’re quite a good dancer. And... you obviously care about your friends, and they care about you.  And you’ve quite a good sense of humor… you remembered my drink order, you didn’t even blink when I told you I’m into both men and women, and, well this has been one of the best nights I’ve had in… I can't remember how long.  Because of you.”

“I feel the same,” he admits.

Truly, this day has been wonderful for him, when it could have been a disaster, what with Marian there and talking to other men, he could have spent the entire day hurting and feeling raw.

Something feels different, if he didn’t know better, he’d think he had a chance with her.

But she’s been clear she doesn’t want a night with him, or a relationship.  He heart is still aching with the pain of a breakup, and he won’t intrude. He does take the opportunity to throw an arm around her side, holding her close.  She leans in, and it just feels _right._

“So, what was your plan, just go for a walk in the moonlight for awhile, then head back?” Regina asks, strolling alongside him.

“I thought some crisp night air might feel nice,” he admits, “since the embarrassment I’ve felt for tonight’s mess had been stifling.  But then of course it’s muggy and raining out here. A walk doesn’t seem like the best choice. But I’m not making a lot of great choices tonight.”

“Speaking of choices,” she says, pointing up at the umbrella.  “You must have good taste, because you chose a fantastic umbrella.”

“Yellow, to match my sunny disposition.” He winks at her, then rolls his eyes at the corniness of his own line.  “Truth be told, I like things that are a bit different, that are bold and stand out in a fun way. I’m thinking I’ll take it home with me and keep it to cheer me up.”

“It’s mine,” Regina says softly.  “I also like to stand out in bold ways.”

Of course it would be hers.  Of course. It seems this night the only thing he wants is her.  The only thing that seems right. Just his luck.

“Well I’d choose you to take you home with me if I could,” Robin says, a bit too seriously.  “And that would undoubtedly cheer me up. But unlike your umbrella, you’re not quite within my reach.”

It’s meant to be a little joke, but it doesn’t seem as such when he says it, the way her eyebrows lift in concern, the way her breath quickens.

“I’m very much in your reach,”  Regina says softly. She stops walking then, places a hand on his chest to stop him as well, and then she’s staring at him in this erotic, serious way; the air feels charged, everything goes soft and silent, he can’t even hear the rain over his own beating heart.

She’s said she was not interested before, so all he lets himself do is brush a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and tuck it behind her ear.

“I highly doubt that,” he rasps.  “I couldn’t be so lucky.”

And he really can’t believe it’s happening until it does.  She closes the distance between their lips, placing a hand on the back of his head to draw him in.

It’s a good kiss, heated, passionate, and just feels _right._

She’s great at this, wonderful, actually; she melts into him, lets him lead, trading pecks and tongue filled kisses, and he feels absolutely dizzy from lust when she finally pulls away.

“I’ve wanted to do that all night,” she smiles.  

“Me too,” he says, still too entranced to process the sudden change in events.  “How are you better at that then I’ve been imagining?”

She chuckles, smoothing a hand down his tuxedo shirt.  “You’re not so bad yourself.”

He kisses her again, this time with a bit more purpose, with promise, because this is _going_ somewhere, it has to be.

When they part, she is panting but smiling so sweetly.

“God, I don’t want this to end,” she moans.

Fuck, he doesn’t either.  He finds he wants her — wants _this_ — more than he knew.

In fact, takes everything in him to not throw this umbrella down and beg her to let him take her in the rain.

But he’s a gentleman and there’s so much more that he likes about her, more than her beauty, more than her sensual kisses and intimate touch.

So he behaves, reels his hormones in, and just stares at her.  There are many words on his tongue, things he would like to say right now.  

About how much he’s enjoyed her company.  About how he’s had more fun with her than he can remember ever having with Marian, and this is just the first night they’ve met.  About how he wants to know more about her — everything, really, because she is the most interesting, captivating person he’s ever met.

He can’t say those things.  Because then she will know he likes her far too much already.  

So he says nothing at all, just looks at her with all the admiration in the world, and sighs softly, swallowing down all the emotion left unsaid.

She smiles back at him as if she understands, and leans forward to press a sweet kiss to his lips before directing him back to the wedding.  

“Come on. We should at least get one dance in together before the night is over.  And then after that, well, you owe me a drink.”

The drink is shared in his hotel room instead of the hotel bar, but he buys her that drink just the same.

There will be many, many more drinks together in their future, but this one may be his favorite.  The drinks they share while lying in a hotel bed together, sweaty and satiated, the sound of the rain storm filling the room as they talk and laugh and touch.

It’s true what they say, he thinks.  Rain on a wedding day is _very_ good luck.


End file.
